The 2009 Red Bull X-Alps has finished, and what a race it’s been! Chrigel Maurer (SUI3) hammered the rest of the field by flying at ‘another level’! Even the double Red Bull X-Alps champion Alex Hofer (SUI1) was left straggling 200 km behind him. Hofer was the only other athlete to make goal. Both flew to the beach – another first in the race.

200 km Behind them Cross Country magazine’s own weather columnist Honza Rejmanek (USA), Britain’s Aiden Toase (GBR1), and Russia’s Evgeny Gryaznov (RUS) battled it out to the end to take third, fourth and fifth spots.

Thirteen more athletes were strung out behind them, the last of which had completed 361 of the 818 km. Twelve athletes, including race favourites and goal finishers in 2007 Toma Cocanea (ROM) and Martin Muller (SUI2), had to drop out due to elimination, injury or infringement of the rules.

The race has been heralded as the hardest ever Red Bull X-Alps and it’s been certainly the most watched paragliding event in history. Full report in the next Cross Country Magazine.

Upcoming Events

From 4-10 December 2016 will be the 20th edition of the Canary Islands’ International Open Hang Gliding Championship. FAI cat. 2, pilots there will be Class 1, Class 5 and Sports Class categories. Airtribune.com

Tom Weissenberger is inviting advanced hang glider pilots to join him in Lanzarote, “one of the most unique and consistent flying sites in southern Europe” in December 2016 / January 2017. The LanzaXCamp should be[...]

The 11th consecutive Forbes Flatlands competition, organised by Moyes and the Sydney Hang Gliding Club, will take place from 30 December 2016 – 6 January 2017, with practice towing days on 28 and 29 December. The competition[...]

The fourth annual Wings Over Winter Powered Paragliding (PPG) event will take place at the Lake Wales Airport in Central Florida, from 6-8 January, 2016. Organisers say: “Wings Over Winter is the perfect getaway for[...]